Modern Dating

By E. Schels

Internet dating has been a thing for a while now. But, apps like Tinder have changed the game. Starting out as a casual hookup app, Tinder is now considered more of a dating app; and for a lot of millennials, this is the only dating world they know. It is a one stop shop of entertainment, hookups and/or potential dates. 

The free application can be downloaded to your smart phone. To create your profile, you sign up using Facebook. It pulls your profile photo as well as the previous five to complete your photo gallery, which you can change and rearrange. Your first name, occupation and age are also derived from your Facebook account; however Tinder doesn’t post anything to Facebook. 

There is a GPS tracking system when you’re using the app so that potential mates can see your profile. In settings, you can set up if you are interested in males, females or both—up to 100 miles away. You can also add an age range. Next, you can set up a mini bio about yourself, letting potential mates know a bit about you. 

Once all of that is done, you’re ready to swipe. As you play on Tinder, profiles will pop up. You swipe left if you aren’t interested and right if you are. You have an option of viewing more than the main photo and reading the full bio before making a decision. You will also be made aware if you two have any mutual friends on Facebook.

You will never know if someone swiped left or right on your profile unless you both swipe right on each other. You will be notified that you were matched if this happens and you guys have 

 the option to chat within the app. 

Post photos that show you in your best natural state. They should look good, but not misleading. 

It’s best to not have other people in your photos. If you’re with another female, you leave the swiper guessing which one you are and if you’re with a male, he will assume it’s a boyfriend or an ex. 

Limit selfies. Photos taken by others or photos of you doing what you love get better feedback. 

Keep your bio positive and avoid things like “Swipe Left if you’re an arrogant gym junkie.”

State your intentions for Tinder clearly to save yourself the time of having to explain it repeatedly.  

Let your personality shine by putting your favorite quote or a funny quip about yourself. 

I decided to create a Tinder profile for research. I included four photos of myself with a very short bio that read: Not here for hookups, only interesting conversations. I set up a 50 mile radius interested in both men and women between the ages of 21-39. 

I began to swipe away, which is actually a pretty fun way to pass time if you’re waiting in line at the DMV. There were a ton of guys to choose from in every race, ethnic background, shape and style. Ninety-five percent of the guys I swiped right were a match with me, which was a huge confidence boost! Women were a different story. A woman’s profile came across my screen once to every 30 guys and mostly didn’t match with me. 

Within a week’s time, I had well over a hundred matches but, only 8 men and one woman attempted to make conversation with me. Most conversations fell flat and didn’t continue to the following day. There were a couple of guys, who obviously didn’t read my bio, because they flat out asked to hookup. But, they were respectful and moved on after I declined. Two guys asked for my number after talking on Tinder for a few days. One guy really caught my interest with his wit and intelligence, which led to great conversations over the course of a few days. He has yet to ask me out. Another guy caught my attention with his model good looks. He’s asked me out a couple of times but our schedules have yet to align. 

 In conclusion, Tinder opens up a world of dating which gives people options of meeting a variety of people that would have probably never crossed paths otherwise. I know people who love it and some have found love by means of it. I deleted my account as soon as my research was over. 

Although grateful for the Tinder experience, it just isn’t me—I’ll take my chances meeting people the old fashioned way for now.

There are an estimated 50 million Tinder users

79% are millennials

45% of users are between the ages of 25-34

Men swipe right 46% of the time 

Women swipe right 14% of the time

Peak time to get a match is between 6-10pm